Improvement in the manufacture of coffins



L. DeL I LL.

MANUFACTURE OF GOFFINS.

Patented April 4, 1876.

%WlTNE;SpES

ATTORNEYS KLPETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGPAPNEH, wASh'mQTwl 0.0.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

LEWIS DE LILL, OF PHGENIX, NEVVYOBK.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COFFINS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 175,593, dated April 4,1876; application filed July 3, 1875.

To all'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIs DE LILL, of Phoenix, in the county of Oswegoand State of New York, have invented a new and valuable Improvement inthe Manufacture of Coflins; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the construction andoperation of the same, reference being bad to the annexed drawings,making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of a horizontal section ofa coffin having my device in its construction. Fig. 2 is a side view ofthe same; and Fig. 3 is an end view thereof.

This invention has relation to improvements in the manufacture ofcoflins and other like structures.

To this end the invention consists in a corner piece, having uponopposite edges angular grooves, adapted to receive thecorrespondingly-beveled ends of the sides and ends of a board structure,whereby a very solid joint will be had when the said beveled ends areinserted in the said grooves, and the sides and ends of the structureare interiorly connected by a wooden tie-strip, as will be hereinaftermore fully explained.

In the illustration of my improved cornerpiece, I have selected acoffin, A, as the medium through which to show the advantages. The endsof the sides a of the coffin are beveled, as shown at c, Fig. 1, andthey are adapted to be received into correspondingly-shaped angulargrooves c in corner pieces or blocks B, the outer edge of which may berounded, as shown at b, and the inner edge or surface plane. The lateraledges of the end pieces a are also beveled, and are received intoangular grooves on the opposite edges of cornerpieces B. By this means,when the sides and ends of the structure are put together by theinsertion of corner-pieces B, their union will be one of great strengthwithout any adventitious aid. But with a view to still furtherstrengthening the joint thus obtained, as well as to making it air andwater tight, the sides a and end pieces a of the structure will beconnected by means of tie-strips f of tough wood, the ends of which arerecessed into oblique sawcuts in the adjacent inner ends of the sidesand ends of the said structure, into which cuts the said strips areglued or otherwise suitably secured. By this means-the sides and endpieces of the coflin will be strongly connected, independently ofcorner-pieces, and it now the tie-strips be glued to the inner planesurface of the said corner-pieces, the power of resistance to strain ofthe strips and corner-pieces will be concentrated, and a degree ofstrength given to the joint adequate to'sustaining any strain to whichin the nature of things it will ever be subjected.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is y In themanufacture of coffins, the cornerpieces B, having angular grooves 0 cutin their opposite edges, in combination with the side and end pieces aa, provided with beveled edges and tie-stripsf, connecting the adjacentends of the side and end pieces, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS DE LILL.

Witnesses: 4

HENRY A. BRAINARD, F. J. HAYNES.

